Monday, June 27, 2016

Whole Foods Hyde Park’s Opening Weekend

Whole Foods Market Hyde Park (Courtesy of Whole Foods Markets)

The long-awaited Whole Foods Market opened at the City Hyde Park building at 5118 South Lake Park Avenue in Hyde Park late last week, and word on the street is that the place was jumping through the weekend. City Hyde Park, you’ll recall, is Jeanne Gang’s new mixed-use opus that has been wildly received by the neighborhood.

Instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony, there was a “bread-cutting” with a long loaf of twisty goodness hacked to bits in celebration.

Whether Hyde Park is considered one of Chicago’s “food deserts” depends on which side of Hyde Park you live in. While the core is well-served, there are ZIP Codes immediately south and west where buying a gallon of milk, or some fresh vegetables is problematic. So, for that reason we welcome any new grocery store that chooses to open in the windy city.

Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods grocer, opens its new store in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, Wednesday, June 22, 2016. The new 30,300 square foot store, located at 5118 S. Lake Park Ave., will celebrate the grand opening with music, food and many more surprises for all who attend.

“Whole Foods Market Hyde Park will be a one-stop-shop for culinary creators of all skill levels, featuring the best tasting natural and organic grocery staples as well as that hard-to-find ingredient,” says Eric Golinvaux, Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market Hyde Park. “For shoppers on-the-go, we’ll have a variety of delicious meals from our chef-driven prepared food options such as seasonal salads, custom sandwiches, and Neapolitan-style pizza, all made without artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners.”

In the morning or an afternoon pick-me-up, coffee lovers will enjoy the delicious, freshly brewed Allegro coffee beverages made to order, including lattes, chai, cappuccinos, and espresso from the Coffee Bar. Allegro buys and roasts only specialty Arabica beans, which represents the top 10 percent of all the beans produced in the world. From that 10 percent, Allegro only purchases the cream of the crop, so Whole Foods Market shoppers are getting the best quality and taste possible every day.

For lunch or easy dinner choices, Whole Foods Market Hyde Park has a variety of healthy and hearty options made with the same high quality standards found on the shelves. Choose from freshly prepared seasonal salads or create a customized blend with the variety of responsibly grown organic and conventional produce on the salad bar; or for more rib-sticking meal choice, the hot bar provides seasonal, chef-driven recipes.

The Diner features a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options including breakfast sandwiches, build-your-own-burgers and classic grilled cheese. Signature sandwiches featuring chipotle turkey, pastrami, or build-your-own style options offer a more custom meal. For a taste of Italy, pick up a slice of hand-stretched Neapolitan-style pizza – ready in under seven minutes. Freshly made sushi specialty rolls, including those made with brown or whole grain rice, are made in-house by sushi chefs using sustainably sourced seafood.

On the shelves and in the aisles, shoppers will have over 650 wines, 200 beers (including a custom Hyde Park Pale Ale from Begyle Brewing Company), 150 back-to-basics bulk pantry staples, and more than 95 bulk spices to choose from.

Whole Foods Market’s strict Quality Standards for food prohibit artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. Products on the shelves are evaluated on ingredients, but also ideology, philosophy, proper labeling and careful evaluation as part of a commitment made to customers to build a business with high standards that flow through all aspects of the company. These commitments include:

Produce: Responsibly grown produce is chosen by expert buyers and rated based off organic certification, farming practices that impact the environment and human heath.

Meat: Classically-trained butchers and meat cutters carve and grind in-house beef, pork, chicken and turkey that comes from farms that have achieved certification in the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-StepTM Animal Welfare Rating program

Seafood: The Seafood Department has the highest Quality Standards for seafood in the business by working with scientists, fishermen, government agencies and environmental organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council to gather information about aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries, ensuring customers can make the best environmental choices when purchasing seafood.

Bakery: The skilled bakers use only ingredients that meet Whole Foods Market’s high Quality Standards, fresh natural butters and creams, and unbleached, unbromated flours for the variety of breads and pastries they create daily.

To celebrate opening day, Whole Foods Market will host its version of a ribbon cutting called a “Bread-Breaking Ceremony” with Whole Foods Market Team Members and Hyde Park neighbors beginning at 8:45 a.m. Doors open and shopping officially begins at 9 a.m. The first 500 customers through the doors will receive a Whole Foods Market Gift Card with a mystery value between $5 and $50. One customer will receive a $500 gift card.

During the ceremony, The Oriental Institute will receive a $25,000 Healthy Kids Innovation grant from Whole Kids Foundation in partnership with United Health Foundation.

Whole Foods Market’s dedication to quality and service extends beyond the bricks and mortar of the store.

Whole Foods Market’s new store in Hyde Park will also empower Team Members and customers to support local causes. Several times a year, the store will hold community giving days, also known as “5% Days,” where 5 percent of a select day’s sales will be donated to a local nonprofit or educational organization. In celebration of the new location, the store will hold five “Days of Community Giving,” where 1 percent of each day’s sales will go towards five area organizations:

Hyde Park Art Center

Hyde Park Jazz Society

Hyde Park Neighborhood Club

Experimental Station

Hyde Park Historical Society

Another way Whole Foods Market will support the Hyde Park community is through its One Dime at a Time program which provides an incentive to customers who bring their own bags for shopping and helps develop stronger communities. At the register, customers will have the option to receive a 10-cent per bag refund as cash back off their purchase or they can choose to donate it to that month’s selected charity organization. Whole Foods Market Hyde Park’s first One Dime at a Time recipient will be 62 Garden.

Hyde Park has a new tenant at City Hyde Park, 5118 S. Lake Park Ave., as the 30,000SF store breaks bread and opens its 26th Chicagoland store this morning.

The new store features a “secret society – intellectual theme” that pays homage to the University of Chicago neighborhood. This is highlighted by a dark blue and brass color-scheme, walnut wood throughout, professors’ office doors on restroom stalls, and University symbolism embedded in the décor. The project scope also included installing a sophisticated mechanical system with fluid coolers, VRFs and air handlers.

The underground parking garage and the apartment complex above the store were designed by famed architect, Jeanne Gang.

Prior to today’s Opening, Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emmanuel, toured the store, noting the jobs it created and crediting Whole Foods Market with honoring its commitment to be in all parts of the city. Whole Foods is also known for utilizing a number of local vendors to supply their stores with the products highlighting the neighborhood’s local flavor and unique or historical traits, as well as supporting the community philanthropically. Tomorrow, Whole Foods will donate a portion of its net sales to the youth bicycle training program, Blackstone Bicycle Works.